Wells Gray has something to offer for almost every outdoor interest:
These pages can help you find information about specific areas in the park:
In addition to the opportunities listed above, this park offers a number of other recreational opportunities (including guided hiking, rafting, and canoe tours).
Please note: The links below are provided for your interest only. The Ministry of Environment and BC Parks do not manage or maintain any of the following websites, nor are we responsible for any of the content contained within.
BC Parks initiated an exclusive proposal call opportunity that awarded six seasonal (spring to fall), multi-year permits for guided hiking and canoeing until 2023. There are three companies that can provide only day-guiding opportunities, and three that can offer both day and overnight guiding opportunities within Wells Gray Provincial Park.
Campsite reservations are accepted at Clearwater Lake, Falls Creek and Mahood Lake group campgrounds and first come, first served sites are also available. All campsite and group site reservations must be made through the BC Parks reservation service. For more information on reservations, see the frontcountry camping page and the group camping page.
When reservations are not available, all sites are available on a first come, first served basis. For information on when campsites are open and when reservations are required, see the dates of operation section, above.
There are a few rustic public cabins in the park. These facilities are intended for emergency use and are not regularly maintained.
There are two reservable group campsites 20 metres from the beach at Mahood Lake. The sites include picnic tables, outhouses, and water taps.
Youth group camping charges per night are:
Regular group camping charges per night are:
See the group camping page for more information.
Backountry camping, accessible by boat only, is allowed in each of the below campgrounds. These sites each have a food cache, a pit toilet, and a fire rings. Some have picnic tables.
Camping fee: $5 per person per night (age 6+)
The BC Parks backcountry permit registration service allows you to purchase a backcountry camping permit before leaving home. Although this does not reserve a campsite, it provides the convenience of prepaying for your trip and not having to carry cash. We encourage all visitors to register online so we can reduce the need to collect fees in the field.
Fees can also be deposited at self-registration fee stations.
For your safety, even if you have pre-paid your camping fees, please fill out a registration form with your name and the colour of your canoe or kayak upon arriving at the park. Please add a copy of your camping permit to the envelope.
You also need to carry a copy of the permit on your body while you are in the park.
So, if you have pre-paid online, print two copies of your permit and bring them with you.
This park offers vehicle-accessible camping on a first come, first served basis and campsite reservations are also accepted.
Accessibility information is available for these areas of the park:
Cold-water taps are located in certain areas of the park.
Mahood Lake has an excellent adventure playground for small children, a large grassy playing field for ball games, and a horseshoe pit adjacent to the campground.
There are opportunities for boat launching.
A sani-station is available during the collecting season. It is in the corridor area and located across the north end of Falls Creek Campground.
Sani-station use fee: $5 per discharge
While campfires are allowed and campfire rings are provided at each campsite, we encourage visitors to conserve wood and protect the environment by minimizing the use of fire and using camp stoves instead.
This park offers day-use picnic areas.
There are flush toilets located at Spahats day-use area. The rest of the park has pit toilets only.
Trail updates will be posted in the advisories section above. For your own safety and for the preservation of the park, obey posted signs and keep to designated trails. Shortcutting trails destroys plant life and soil structure.
There are swimming opportunities in the park but there are no lifeguards on duty at provincial parks.
There are opportunities for canoeing or kayaking.
Kayaking opportunities are available at Murtle Lake and Mahood Lake.
Anyone fishing or angling in British Columbia must have an appropriate licence.
Wells Gray Park, sponsored by the BC Conservation Corps, the Federation of BC Naturalists, park operators, and BC Parks, may offer interpretive programs in the summer.
From early June to late August, you’ll find the BC Parks Foundation’s Discover Parks Ambassadors hosting programs, leading nature walks, hosting information booths and running the popular Jerry’s Ranger’s program for kids and families. To learn more about the Discover Parks Ambassador program and check their schedule visit the BC Parks Foundation’s website.
With a large variety of habitats and ecosystems, Wells Gray Park provides exceptional wildlife viewing and bird watching opportunities. You may see black bears in the spring, Chinook salmon during the autumn, and wolves and moose during the winter months.
Pets must be on a leash at all times and are not allowed in beach areas or park buildings. You are responsible for their behaviour and must dispose of their excrement. Backcountry areas are not suitable for dogs or other pets due to wildlife issues and the potential for problems with bears.
Bicycles must keep to roadways. Bicycle helmets are mandatory in British Columbia.
In the corridor area, there are specific trails open to mountain bikers. Ask for details at the Wells Gray information centre.
Please note that bicycles with electric assist motors (e-bikes) are not allowed on any trails within Wells Gray Park. E-bikes are restricted to park roads and areas where motorized use is permitted. The only exception to this policy will be for authorized and identified trail maintenance bikes conducting work on behalf of BC Parks.
Horse use is permitted in many areas of the park. All trails authorized for horse use will be marked by an appropriate sign at the trail heads.
In areas of the park used by commercial park use permit holders offering horseback riding opportunities, horseback riding is allowed for the public without additional authorization. These trails include the Flat Iron, Hemp Creek Canyon Lands, Hoodoo Rim Trail, Green Mountain, White Horse Bluffs, Tote Road, Still Water, Majerus, Blackwater, and Bee Farm.
The Green Mountain trail system in the corridor area is also open for horse use.
Some other areas in the park are open for horse use through a Letter of Authorization process. These areas include, but are not limited to, Battle Mountain, Table Mountain, and Pyramid Trail to upper Murtle River.
Those wishing to access these areas by horse must contact the Area Supervisor responsible for Wells Gray at the Ministry of Environment office in Kamloops at 250-371-6200.
A Letter of Authorization, if issued, will be issued from the regional office and will contain any additional restrictions or requirements necessary in order to access those areas of the park. There is no fee for a Letter of Authorization.
Hunting is permitted within Wells Gray Park. Please refer to current British Columbia Hunting Regulations for seasons and bag limits.
There are backcountry skiing and snowshoeing opportunities in various areas of the park. There are groomed cross-country ski trails in the Majerus Farm area.
Operation of snowmobiles is not permitted in the park unless granted under special exception by a park official.
The park can be accessed off Highway 5 at Clearwater or turn off Highway 97 at 100 Mile House. Murtle Lake is accessed off Highway 5 at Blue River. For more details, see detail pages for various areas of the park.
The rest of Wells Gray Park is not accessible from Mahood Lake.
The nearest reservable campground to Wells Gray attractions is at North Thompson River Park.
Shuswap Adams Parks Ltd.
parkinquiries@telus.net
250-320-9305
Established November 28, 1939, the park was named for the Honourable Arthur Wellsley Gray, Minister of Lands for British Columbia from 1933 to 1941. As a result of the Kamloops Land and Resources Management Plan, several land additions have been incorporated into Wells Gray Park. These include the Clearwater River Corridor Addition of 3100ha and the Trophy Mountain addition of 6934ha, both designated in April 1996.
Wells Gray Park offers a variety of topographical features. Extinct volcanoes, lava beds, mineral springs, and glaciers are just a few of the wondrous natural attractions at the park. A number of spectacular waterfalls also exist, including the famous Helmcken and Dawson Falls. Dense forest cover characterizes the lower elevations, with excellent examples of Douglas fir, western red cedar, and hemlock.
Wells Gray is noted for a wide variety of wildlife, including black and grizzly bear, wolf, cougar, lynx, bobcat, wolverine, moose, deer, mountain goat, caribou, plus a host of smaller mammals such as fisher, marten, mink, weasel, and squirrel.
A wide variety of waterfowl, although not numerous, can also be found in the park. The bird checklist notes 219 species.
BC Parks honours Indigenous Peoples’ connection to the land and respects the importance of their diverse teachings, traditions, and practices within these territories. This park webpage may not adequately represent the full history of this park and the connection of Indigenous Peoples to this land. We are working in partnership with Indigenous Peoples to update our websites so that they better reflect the history and cultures of these special places.